What Stories Are You Following?

Did Ariel Castro commit suicide or die due to auto-erotic asphyxiation. I highly doubted the latter and so did the Coroner:

“I did the autopsy myself. I saw the ligature. I saw the pictures of the cell…It was a suicide…There were no signs that he was sexually stimulated…And his pants may have slipped off while he was hanging…”

11-Year Old Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Murder Classmate

An 11-year old has been found guilty of a murder plot. The judge in the case said that it is the “most serious of his career.”

“During an interview, school counselor Debbie Rogers testified the accused said he was planning to stab the girl to death because she was “really annoying” and the second boy was to aim the gun at anyone who tried to intervene. Rogers said Friday she saw no evidence of the boy experiencing delusions the day the gun and knife were discovered.”

His conspiracy conviction is considered a felony in the state of Washington.

Are people with certain personality traits more susceptible to phishing scams?

“A high school senior had sex with Coleman’s 14-year-old daughter, another boy did the same with her daughter’s 13-year-old friend, and a third student video-recorded one of the bedding scenes. Interviews and evidence initially supported the felony and misdemeanor charges that followed.”

Two months later the charges were dropped. The victims were chased out-of-town. One had her home burned down, even after moving 40 miles away.

The NSA is Harvesting Your Address Books

That according to the Washington Post. They have the PowerPoint to prove it.

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38 thoughts on “What Stories Are You Following?”

I watched a 48 Hours episode over the weekend about a man named Fred Mueller. His wife drowned and he accused of having pushed her. It went to trial and came back a hung jury, 11 not-guilty and 1 guilty. So they re-tried him and again, it came back a hung jury, this time 8 guilty and 4 not guilty. They’re deciding whether to re-try him a third time. I can’t decide whether I think he’s guilty or not.

What an interesting program 48 Hours Mystery is, and as you suggested, Victoria, this is an especially difficult case to form an opinion on one way or the other as these types of accident / homicide cases invariably are. However this one is a bit different to the ‘shove her off the cliff’ type homicide as the prosecution claim she didn’t fall but that Mueller had drowned her. What I couldn’t work out was that there was no mention of an autopsy report which, you would think, would throw some light on that one way or the other. It will be interesting to see whether he is retried. Spiders don’t get to exhibit their personalities at our home, Dr K., as my wife has an absolute dread of them and I am forever spraying the place. The poor creatures simply have no chance. Not that I’m all that fussed on them myself – particularly those huntsman and tarantulas.

There was an autopsy which showed that the body didn’t have the injuries associated with a fall from the cliff that Mueller described. Mueller also had scratches on his face and his broken glasses were found near the creek where Leslie’s body was found which supports a struggle. He never explained how his glasses got there if she fell from the cliff. The only way his glasses could get there was if she pulled them off his face as he pushed her from the cliff or drowned her in the creek. Some jurors said they voted not guilty because there was no clear motive. However, he and his wife both had large insurance policies on each other and a friend testified he wasn’t going to get a divorce and let a woman dictate what he got. He was married again two years after his wife’s death to a woman he knew in the past. The state was supposed to decide yesterday if they were going to try him for a third time. I haven’t read any reports on the decision yet.

I just read that there will be a third re-trial for Mueller. Court date is January 2014. His wife was killed in 2008.http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24316398/third-trial-set-texas-man-accused-drowning-wife I am not as convinced of his guilt as I am of the guilt of Dr. Martin MacNeill who is charged with first degree murder of his 50 year old wife Michelle who was found dead by their six year old daughter in a blue jumpsuit lying face up in red water in their bathtub in 2007. I am following news reports of the MacNeill trial, which is set to begin in Provo, UT as soon as they seat a jury. Jury selection began yesterday.

I’m with you on this Observer, I’m totally convinced of Dr. MacNeills guilt but the Mueller one…I don’t know. If you look at the last photo he took of his wife, right before the fall, she has thick gloves on. The scratches didn’t seem to match with how you would scratch someone if you were fighting for your life. His glasses were found about 15 feet away from where she fell so she definitely would’ve had time to put up a better fight IMO.

The insurance policy didn’t come up as a motive because, IIRC, it was a joint policy intended for the children if both spouses were to die at the same time. It wouldn’t pay out on just one.

From all accounts it seems that Daisy and her friend, although drinking and meeting with the boys, in no way asked to be raped. This case needs to reopened by an independent prosecutor. Something is terribly wrong here.

I think Castro hung himself & the police are doing “damage control” by suggesting auto-erotic asphyxiation. I have no interest in Castro anymore. He was sentenced *quickly to what he deserved, LWOP, + 1000 years. As for the rest of the cases you mentioned Dr. Randle, I want to know the defense/prosecution, but have minimal interest. But following the psychology of the events is most interesting. I remain most interested in the Jodi Arias trial. Fascinating, enraging… a trial of a trial to follow as it goes on & on & on. But last night reinforced my commitment. Nancy Grace covered some of the past in her trial. There was an clip from Arias’ the last interview, Minutes after the jury found her guilty. With Amy Murphy, KNXTV. Ms. Murphy said something Jodi did not like. In a nano-second, from smiling, “congenial,” Arias gave the most chilling, darting glare. It only lasted a short time, but oh my! Frightening…EVIL. I know she is a sociopath, but I also believe in evil & am fascinated. Hannah Anderson also has my interest….Big Time. And her family, especially her father. Such a bland affect on this young woman. Bizarre. But on social media & with her friends, “vivacious.” And not too “Sweet Sixteen.” I believe there is so much more to this horror of a tragedy, butchery, than has been reported. I hope more unfolds, as it seems to be slowly doing, as Hannah speaks & behaves, offering more questions….& controversy.

Yes!!! Hannah Anderson definitely intrigues me too! I strongly believe she was in on the murders of her mother and brother but, sadly, I think she’ll get away with it because her “kidnapper” isn’t around.

She’s been giving interviews and contradicting herself like crazy. She even said she was the one who told him to fire off the rifle at the campground when they were found, her reasoning was she’d heard it was an SOS signal. Definitely more to that story!/

I have continued to follow the David Camm trial, a case which has been on-going for 13 years now and appears no less controversial today than it was back then. Both prosecution and defense have now rested with only rebuttal evidence to come. The jury is scheduled to begin deliberations shortly, but as there has been so much disagreement by experts over the forensic evidence in the case (plus the fact that another man has been sentenced to 225 years for the murders he is charged over, and Camm having a seemingly watertight alibi for the time of them) there appears to be enough reasonable doubt for an acquittal – yet he has been found guilty twice before, so anything could happen.

I haven’t heard of this one but I’ll have to check it out. Skimming through I see that it’s his third trial over 13 years! I don’t know but, for me personally, if you haven’t convinced two juries…doesn’t that say something?

Victoria, there are some most informative articles about the Camm trial to be found at David Camm 2013 Trial Blog – WDRB 41 Louisville News, where a quite extensive daily summary of the proceedings dating back to August 20th are provided. There is, however, a great deal to this case and will take a lot of time to absorb it all. It has always been a very involved, controversial and hotly debated case which seems to have split public opinion right down the middle, and a hung jury would be no surprise. However, that is by far the most interesting and informative blog to follow in this case that I have come across. Hope it assists.

Hi Dr Randle. The story that is on my mind right now involves the bullying by the young girls and Rebecca Sedwick’s suicide. Bullying is a serious epidemic in this digital age and I’m thankful my children are grown up now. Although I worry about my grandchildren I know how involved my kids are in their lives as parents.

Many people are lashing out at Rebecca’s mother (another form of bullying) and saying she wasn’t involved enough in her daughter’s life. I detest that sort of judgment on a grieving parent. She was involved, she had mental health involved, she took her out of school and homeschooled her, she was trying very hard in a difficult situation. Yes, Rebecca still had access to her phone and computer. What are parents to do! I have a daughter that was a very difficult child, I understand how overwhelming it can be. I’m not saying that Rebecca was difficult, she obviously was suffering. I just know being a parent is a very challenging job.

Two girls were arrested in this case and one of the girl’s father is denying his daughter’s involvement. He said he monitored his daughter’s facebook account. I highly doubt that considering what his daughter posted on the weekend that led to her arrest; she admitted to bullying Rebecca and said I don’t give a “blank.” She also had been bullying Rebecca in school including a physical assault. Where were the school officials!

I commend the sheriff in this case to be taking this so seriously. He wanted to charge the parents but wasn’t aware of anything to charge them with. He’s upset that the 14 year old was allowed to continue to post to the internet after Rebecca committed suicide.

This was all over a boy who Rebecca and one of the girls were dating. I guess that’s a red flag in itself. I wouldn’t let my kids date at age 12 or 14 but that’s me. Of course, “dating” can mean different things to people. I remember growing up and girls saying they were “going with” a boy. That was nothing more than a boy and a girl talking in school and using the label “boyfriend” or “girlfriend.”

Some of the online messages that drove Rebecca to jump to her death included, why don’t you go kill yourself and you should die. Rebecca then sent a message to a boy she had befriended online and said, I’m jumping, I can’t take it anymore.

I think the prosecution did a very good job today in its opening statement and first witness, the plastic surgeon, Dr. Thompson in establishing MacNeill set up the plastic surgery so he could get the drugs necessary to drug and drown his wife, Michelle, so he and move in his young, sexy mistress Gypsy Willis. His bizarre statements to the 911 operator and the paramedics and doctors who were working on his wife sounded like he was putting on an act to cover up the murder.

What doctor and concerned husband yells and screams at your dying wife and people who are trying to save her? He told the 911 operator his wife fell in the bathtub and was underwater and he couldn’t get her out. He wouldn’t allow female neighbors to help him get his wife out of the bathtub so wasted time until a male neighbor showed up and helped him get her out of the tub. He claimed he did CPR but she never expelled any blood or water until the sheriff’s department took over. He told paramedics and his children that he found his wife bent over the tub with her head submerged in water. Yet, his daughter Ada and neighbors said Michelle was lying on her back in the water. How did she get on her back in the water unless he put her there?

Doctors are usually calm and husbands whose wives are dying usually plead for them not to die but MacNeill yelled at his unresponsive wife: “Why did you have to have the surgery and take those pills?” and “I was a bishop and paid tithing and this is the thanks I get” and “I told you not to have the surgery and take those drugs. I am a doctor and you are dead.”

Yet, according to his daughter, Alexis, and the plastic surgeon, MacNeill found the doctor, insisted on the plastic surgery although his wife did not want it and asked for medications Thompson normally would not have prescribed and said he was her primary physician and would give her the drugs. The prosecutor also said MacNeill over medicated Michelle and Alexis took over her care and she was only taking 1-2 pills the day Alexis left for medical school. The day Michelle died she told Alexis she was feeling great and driving her daughter to school and herself to a doctor’s appointment. So Michelle was shocked when her father called and said her mother wouldn’t stay in bed or take her pills and then a couple of hours her mother was dead.

MacNeill hung up twice on the 911 operator, gave her the wrong address and yelled at her. MacNeill continued to yell and scream and order paramedics around until he was asked to leave so paramedics could try to save Michelle. A doctor also said MacNeill offered to pay him $10,000 to continue resuscitation long after Michelle was dead. At the funeral, he mentioned he was a bachelor again and had to get used to it and laughed and joked. He ordered his son’s girlfriend to dispose of the medication and by the time his daughter’s arrived MacNeill had already gotten rid of the medication, the hospital bed, a book that Alexis used to write down the medications and other belongings of Michelle’s. He also went into an elaborate charade to disguise his mistress as a nanny and move her into his home two weeks after Michelle died. His mistress was pretending to be his wife and used Michelle’s death date as her wedding date.

After he was arrested in 2012, MacNeill told several inmates Michelle was a bitch, that she overdosed on drugs and drowned and the state couldn’t prove it was murder.

The defense attorney said the investigators decided he was guilty and decided to try to get the medical examiner to change the original cause of death from natural causes to homicide and failed and all the witnesses are lying.

Observer, yes I am following MacNeill very closely and watched every second of trial so far. I feel spoiled after watching Juan Martinez in action. The prosecutors in the MacNeill case are not aggressive whatsoever and they don’t come across as passionate either. The opening statement was good, it was linear and very informative. When questioning witnesses they sometimes seem to lose their train of thought and that’s where the defense scores points.

On the other hand, the defense opening was a train wreck IMO. It reminded me of Don West and his opening joke. Aesop’s fable? Really…. That’s all they got? She was all over the place and wants to detract from the murder and focus on heart disease and impeaching witnesses which I guess is what a good defense lawyer would do but it was very confusing and boring. I am worried about the fact none of the coroners would change the autopsy to homicide, that very well could influence the jurors’ verdict.

I agree with you that evidence shows MacNeill premeditated this and he was acting in front of everybody. Defense will say he was upset finding his wife dead and everyone reacts differently, yada, yada, yada…. but nobody would act like that especially a doctor.

Did you notice the creepy smile on the defense atty as he impeaches the witnesses? I will say I think he might be scoring some points but we must remember this happened years ago. The plastic surgeon was very nervous on the stand and I’m sure he’s been worried all along about being charged himself.

One of Michele’s best friends was on Nancy Grace last night and she was talking about the funeral and how strange it was. When Martin got up to speak about Michele’s life, he didn’t. He spoke only of himself, no mention of Michele. She said it was very bizarre! I had heard about everything Martin said during the funeral (I think it was one of his daughters that mentioned it) but she added more information that made it even more strange.

It will be very interesting to hear the daughters testify. I believe they will be on the stand today. I like how UT allows the jurors to ask questions. There’s so much the jury won’t hear and I worry he may be found not guilty but I’m hoping when all is said and done they come back with guilty.

I think from the defense’s opening statement and their cross of state witnesses, they are trying to prove the state’s witnesses all gave different statements and said something different in depositions and previous hearings to show they are unreliable.

However, what was interesting today was that although the neighbors and police officers differed on whether Michelle was wearing a bra, white top with spaghetti straps and long sleeved black shirt or all of the above, they all agreed that she was wearing the white top, nothing on the bottom and lying face up in the bathtub and not leaning over the tub as MacNeil told witnesses and that she wasn’t that wet to be underwater in the tub as MacNeill told the 911 operator.

The police officer also said she gurgled and threw up more than 3 to 4 cups of liquid on him and his partner as they did CPR which makes it look like MacNeill was faking the CPR.

The plastic surgeon said MacNeill ordered the extra drugs and Michelle stated she did not take drugs or want to take drugs. Michelle’s daughter Alexis also said her mother was concerned her father was overmedicating her and down to 2 Percocet a day when she left to go back to medical school and never took Ambien and that she was going to take her daughter Ada to school and drive herself to a doctor’s appointment the day she died.

If Michelle did not take drugs or have reason to take drugs and died of natural causes: heart arrhythmia, why would she be found unresponsive in the morning in the bathtub clothed at all with four drugs in her system unless her husband gave her the drugs that caused the heart arythmia and her husband put her in the tub in her clothes to drown while he went to a health fair as an alibi. Their daughter Ada, 6 at the time and now 12, testified at a preliminary hearing that when she found her mother she was floating face up in a blue pantsuit with her eyes open in red (bloody) water. Police found wet and bloody clothes in the garage so Martin must have removed the clothes and put them there while Ada ran to get a neighbor to help. Martin told the 911 operator his wife was underwater and he was letting the water out of the bathtub to give her CPR. How could he give her CPR in a deep bathtub? You need a flat hard surface which is why they took her out of the tub to do CPR.

I think the medical examiners who did the two autopsies made a mistake when they ruled it death by heart arrhythmia – natural the first time and undetermined the second – and not drowning because she was found in the bathtub and water expelled from the lungs indicates she was drowned and her being found in the tub clothed – fully or partially – indicates she didn’t drown herself.

That proves the state’s theory that MacNeil drugged and drowned his wife so he could move in his mistress. I also read where MacNeill and Gypsy Willis had sex in a closet in the master bedroom while Michelle was in bed recovering from her surgery and that his daughters overheard their mother and father fighting over Willis while she was recovering. Michelle said she wasn’t going to let it go.

The house was in Michelle’s name. If she divorced him, she’d get the house and alimony and child support and it would bleed him dry. If he killed her, he could have the mistress, the house and not pay a cent to Michelle, the woman he told five inmates was a bitch and he was glad she was dead and no one could prove he murdered her.

Observer, I hope they bring in the fact that the clothes were found in the garage. That would be a good point for the prosecution to make to prove the defendant hid the evidence and he did in fact drown and drug his wife. Being an atty and dr, he knew what he was doing.

I agree, the defense is trying to discredit the witnesses as that’s the only defense they have but they can’t hide the facts.

I think yesterday’s witnesses were pretty good. And yes, they all attested to the fact that Michele had a tank top on. The 911 call was good evidence to prove MacNeill was lying about doing CPR. I hope in closing the prosecution breaks those 911 calls down to show what he said couldn’t be true.

I hadn’t heard about Martin having sex with Gypsy in the home while Michele was recovering. Was Gypsy the one who admitted that? It’s so apparent he wanted Michele out of the picture. Her testimony should be very revealing.

Do you know if the judge ruled on whether Ada could testify? I know they had a hearing last week and he was to rule on that but I never heard his decision.

What surprises me is how long he was able to keep up the facade, considering his bad actions started at the age of 21.

Alexis and Rachel, Michelle’s daughters, also tearfully told the media that after their mother’s death, their father tried to give away their four adopted sisters to strangers. Alexis has since adopted them.

One of the neighbors testified that MacNeill and Gypsy left for days at a time without the children. MacNeill sent Jillian Giselle MacNeill, one of the adopted daughters, who was 16, to the Ukraine for the summer so he and Gypsy could steal her identity and put the house in her name and kicked Rachel and Alexis out of the home because they guessed Gypsy was his mistress and disinherited all his children, leaving all his money to Gypsy. MacNeill and Gypsy both plead guilty to identity fraud and went to prison.

Alexis and Rachel found out that their father had been a criminal long before they were born. At 17 he conned the Army into believing he was schizophrenic and got $3,000 a month in disability payments for 30 years although he was practicing as a doctor and lawyer. He fabricated college records to get into medical and law school. While he was in med school, he forged a $25,000 check and got caught and went to prison for four months. He failed to disclose he had a felony when he applied for law school.

He told a mistress he was a serial killer, that he had drowned his brother in the bathtub, that he killed patients and tried to kill his mother. He told family, friends, church members and neighbors he was dying from cancer and had MS.

This type of behavior is typical of a psychopath and a person who would not hesitate to kill someone who gets in his way. Before Michelle’s death, he was telling Michelle he was going to leave and he didn’t want the adopted children. He was telling Gypsy Willis’s family he wanted to marry her a year before Michelle’s death and within weeks after Michelle’s death, he proposed to Willis in front of her family.

Don’t count on Gypsy to throw her lover under the bus. She is a pathological liar and psychopath just like Martin MacNeill and she will do everything to make him look innocent because she wants to marry him.

At the preliminary hearing when she was on the stand, Gyspy and Martin were making goo goo eyes and although she admitted to the affair, she lied and said he never promised to marry her, always said he loved Michelle and his and Gypsy’s tryst was just “for fun.” She lied about telling her roommates she wanted to get rid of Michelle and cut her brake lines. She also lied and said Martin asked her to move in to be nanny to the kids because he needed the help after the death of his wife, not because she was his mistress.

Alexis and Rachel believe Gypsy helped their father drug and drown their mother. What mistress shows up at the funeral of her lover’s wife, claims to be married to him and gives his wife’s funeral date as the marriage date and moves in with him to take care of his children unless this was the plan all along: get rid of Michelle and replace her with Gypsy.

Couldn’t agree more, Tracy. The prosecutor that took the doctor through his evidence was no Juan Martinez. What a fumbling, uncertain performance it was. He didn’t seem to have any idea of where he was going with his examination of the doctor, and totally lacked conviction. I thought that the defense made more ground for their cause than did the prosecution with this witness – and yes, he’s certainly a little ‘different’ that defense attorney, but he was far more organised than the prosecutor.

Observer, There are so many facets to this case, much of which the jury won’t hear about unfortunately. I have a lot of background on the case but I had no idea Gypsy still thinks she’s going to marry Martin and will continue to lie about the blatant affair and alleged premeditated murder. Thanks for filling me in on that.

I don’t think Ada is going to testify. She was number three on the witness list and they seem to be calling the witnesses in order and have passed her up. Ada says she found her mother sitting up or lying down in the tub face up in a blue pantsuit but the other witnesses say she was wearing a white top and black top so that wouldn’t help. But one thing I thing would help is that Ada told cops that her mother was supposed to pick her up from school and they were going to go to McDonald’s.

That coincides with what Alexis said her mother told her and Alexis story that Michelle was out of bed and driving herself and down to 1 or 2 Percocet a day. Michelle would never have taken four different medications on her own or from Martin unless he crushed them up and put them in her food after Ada left for school.

Martin also told cops that Michelle took too many medications and fell in the tub and he only left her for 10 minutes. How would he know she took any medications or fell in the tub if he wasn’t there?

Gypsy’s sister is also scheduled to testify. She told the cops Gypsy knew before Michelle did about the face lift.

The prosecution also has evidence of several texts and phone calls between Martin and Gypsy the day before and after Michelle died which sounds to me like they were plotting the murder together.

Don, I think Friday’s performance was worse than the day before on the prosecution’s part. It was as if a first year law student was doing the direct examination of witnesses – fumbling indeed. Makes me wonder how far in he is in his career. I think defense had a bit of a problem yesterday too so hopefully this evens out the playing field in the end. I didn’t see the defense score any points, as hard as they tried, to impeach the eye witnesses (neighbors and cop). I hope the prosecution can get their act together, it could make or break the case.

Agreed, Tracy. I am trying to view this trial with as open a mind as possible. It can be misleading to read much into a 911 call as the person concerned is usually under great stress and can come across in unpredictable ways, but McNeil certainly sounded full of aggression. I thought that the people who came to assist him made excellent witnesses, but couldn’t help but feel that the prosecution, if better organised / prepared, could have made much more of them. I agree that the defense didn’t score any particular points with them, but it is, after all, up to the prosecution to make its case. A couple of queries sprung to my mind during their evidence. I found it most odd that Michele’s head was at the end of the tub where the taps were, as it seems most likely you would bathe the other way around. Also, I would be fairly confident that I could get a fairly lightweight woman out of such a tub – especially with the adrenalin flowing – and couldn’t understand why McNeil couldn’t with the assistance of the two women who came to his aid.The male witness also stated he did not believe he would have had any difficulty in getting her out. Officer Ormond was also an excellent witness.It was interesting to note that he was apprehensive that he may have had to defend himself, so aggressive was McNeil – which was understandable given the nature of the 911 call. Also of interest was his observation that Michele’s hair was sopping wet, which was in marked contrast to the evidence of the other witnesses who stated that it was dry – a detail of some importance, you would think. Very interesting case – but the prosecution still have the task in front of them to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Yes, Don, the prosecution has a long road to haul here to get a conviction since so much of this is circumstantial and so many details will not be allowed in. The first thing that sprung to mind when I saw the pictures of the bathroom and witness testimony was the positioning of Michele in the tub – i.e. her head being at the wrong end of the tub. I truly believe he placed her there and I think he planned the aftermath to make it look like he couldn’t possibly lift her out, even with the help of a woman. Defense will make it seem as if a “bad toe injury” would prevent him from lifting her out of the tub. Baloney!

I agree that the prosecutors could very well be better organized and prepared to make these witnesses more effective. They are so monotone and scattered, no animation whatsoever. Just remember how Juan worked the case – no notes, no fellow prosecutors working with him – he does it alone, with everything seemingly memorized. Just amazing!

The officer felt like he might have to protect himself, MacNeill was not only aggressive in the 911 call, but at the scene as well and I think that’s what the officer was responding to. He was putting on an act, a bizarre one at that. Not a man who was concerned about his wife but his behavior was interrupting and disrupting the care that the responders were trying to render. I suppose the defense will say that he was a doctor and was trying to tell the EMT crew how to care for his wife. But his actions did not coincide with rescue efforts leading up to the responders arriving.

The testimony about her hair being soaking wet does contradict the other witnesses. The jurors will have to take all the testimonies of the case and decide how much weight to give each one. It shall be interesting to see how it plays out.

For those who are following the Dr. Martin MacNeill murder trial, here is a link to copies of the state’s witness lists and documents of MacNeill and Gypsy Willis surrendering their medical and nurses license and the grand jury indictment on their identity theft.

I see Giselle MacNeill, one of Michelle’s and Martin’s Ukrainian adopted daughter, is one of the state’s witnesses. I hope she is allowed to bring up that her adopted father sent her to the Ukraine when she was 16 so he and his mistress could steal her social security card and open up bank accounts and steal the house that was under her mother’s name. I hope she is also allowed to testify that he left her homeless and without food and she would still be there if Michelle’s sister hadn’t gone and got her and brought her back to the US. It took a year for that to happen. When Giselle returned to the US, she was terrified of Martin.

It was when Michelle’s sister was attempting to adopt Giselle that she discovered the birth date had been changed on her social security number and that’s how Gypsy and Martin got caught. He eventually signed over all rights to his adopted children, three from the Ukraine, and Ada, who is Alexis’s biological daughter. Alexis has adopted all but Giselle who was adopted by the aunt who rescued her.

The fact that MacNeill could just throw away the daughter he had adopted and raised shows he is a psychopath who is capable of murdering his wife. It’s obvious he got rid of Michelle and Giselle so he and his mistress could not only be together but steal everything that belonged to Michelle and her children. Their son, Damian, committed suicide after his mother’s death and after he emailed a Salt Lake City newspaper that his father did not kill his mother.

I wonder if Martin MacNeill emailed the newspaper and then killed his son. He told a former mistress he wanted to kill his daughter Vanessa because she embarrassed the family by using drugs. Damian overdosed on drugs. He also told the former mistress that he drowned his brother who was found dead in a bathtub. Same MO as Michelle’s death.

What the MacNeill daughters have been through losing their mother and brother and believing their father killed their mother is horrendous. My heart goes out to them.

Observer, I think you misspoke, Ada is the MacNeill’s biological daughter not Alexis’, is she not?

As far as the witness list, I don’t believe that list is necessarily being used in order – Brandt testified today and he’s far down the list number at #36.

I read the judge is reserving his decision as to whether Ada can testify or not for trial. He told prosecutors that they need to call Somers and the two detectives in the case prior to calling Ada so he can get an understanding of how the questioning was done. So we may see her, we may not. I think her version of the day’s planned events would be very useful testimony. Even if she’s not called, I believe the sisters will be crucial to the case.

Martin and Michelle adopted four daughters, three from the Ukraine and Ada, their granddaughter who is the biological daughter of Alexis. After Michelle died, Alexis adopted Ada and two of the Ukrainian daughters after Martin signed over his parental rights. Giselle, the third Ukrainian daughter was adopted by Linda, Michelle’s sister.

Tracy did you watch the trial today? The state proposed Ada testify outside of the jury’s presence and the judge agreed. The judge is going to decide if she can testify in front of the jury after hearing what she says. It is not clear if the public will hear her testify before the jury does. It was unclear when she would be doing this but they wanted her to testify Thursday and Gypsy to testify Friday. The state said Alexis just gave birth to twins a week ago tomorrow so they wanted to give her another day to recuperate and proposed she testify Thursday also.

I was right about Ada being the biological granddaughter and adopted daughter of Martin and Michelle but Vanessa is the biological mother, not Alexis.

I read this on HLN:

The MacNeills had four biological children: Rachel, Alexis, Vanessa and Damian; and adopted four more children from Ukraine, or that’s what they told people. In 2010, the couple’s only son, Damian, committed suicide. During a preliminary hearing, Rachel MacNeill testified that Ada, who everyone knows as one of the MacNeills’ adopted daughters, is actually the MacNeills’ biological granddaughter. Ada is Vanessa’s daughter.

Observer, yes I did see yesterday’s trial and the argument after trial between the lawyers and judge regarding Ada’s testimony. It sounds like Thursday will be the day unless they change it, the only question they didn’t clarify is if it will it be in the morning or in the afternoon after the jury leaves. I hope she’s not exposed to cameras, I’m sure that’s what the judge would rule, at least not to show her face.

Thank you for clarifying Ada’s place in the family. It was confusing at first. Interesting family dynamics indeed!

Ada will be testifying at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in a two hour hearing in front of the judge to decide if she can testify in front of the jury. It will be air streamed and her face won’t be shown. Alexis is scheduled to testify in this hearing also. The jury will come in at 10:30 am.

I think highlights of the testimony today was:

Melissa Frost stating that Martin MacNeill kept rescheduling time when he would be available to receive the award at the safety fair. This furthers prosecution’s theory that MacNeill killed his wife and then appeared at the fair as an alibi.

Dave Laylock saying that Martin MacNeill told him he needed his picture taken for an award. He was “adamant” about getting his picture taken. Seemed determined. Furthers prosecution’s theory that he wanted proof of his alibi.

An emergency room doctor testifying that Martin MacNeall offered him $10,000 to keep resuscitation going when as a physician he knew his wife was already dead because there was no signs of life.

Eileen Heng, the former girlfriend of Damian McNeill, the MacNeill’s son, who overdosed on drugs in 2010, testifying that Martin MacNeill ordered her to flush Michelle’s medications down the toilet shortly after Michelle’s death. Furthers prosecution’s theory that he destroyed evidence. She also stated that Martin hired his mistress Gypsy Jillian Willis as a nanny despite the protests of his daughters Alexis and Rachel.

The McNeil case is an interesting one but for sheer intrigue there would be few cases to match the Camm family murders, and the jury in the third trial of ex-Indiana State Trooper David Camm is considering its verdict. The jury must decide whether Camm single-handedly murdered his wife and two children in the garage of their home as it was alleged at his first trial or whether he conspired with career criminal Charles Boney (now serving 225 years for the murders) as alleged later. So far, Camm has served 13 years imprisonment for the murders which, he claims, he had no part in. At the time of the murders Camm had what appeared to be a water-tight alibi in that he was playing basketball at the local church hall and had 11 other players to verify that. However, 8 tiny spots of blood were found on his sweatshirt which a blood stain ‘expert’ – who was later found to be only a photographer working for the expert – stated was high velocity blood splatter which proved that Camm had fired the fatal shots. Camm was a ‘womaniser’ and it was alleged at his first trial that this was the motive for the murders. Camm was found guilty, but this verdict was overturned a few years later as the Court of Appeal upheld the claim that his ‘womanising’ had adversely and unfairly influenced the jury. Also a sweatshirt which had been found at the scene of the murders was found to belong to Boney and his palm print was found on the car in the garage where the family was shot. Boney was charged and found guilty of the murders. Camm was also re-charged over the murders and this time it was alleged that his motive was that he had been molesting his daughter and that he had killed his family as a cover-up. On appeal this conviction was overturned as it was found there was no evidence of the alleged molestation. At the third trial it has been alleged that Camm conspired with Boney (though there appears no evidence that they have even met one another) to commit the murders. The blood stains on Camm’s shirt hold the key to the mystery as the prosecution’s claim of blood splatter has been challenged by overseas DNA experts who say it is blood transfer which Camm got on him when he discovered the bodies and leant across one child to check on the other. However, the prosecution’s contention that Camm ‘sat-out’ for 6 minutes at the basketball and that it was then that he left the hall, drove home (a 3-4 minute drive away), met up with Boney, who was providing a gun for him, shot his family (who just co-incidentally drove into the garage at that time from an outing) and returned to the hall (all in 6 mins) appears too much of a stretch, and ‘reasonable doubt’ appears reasonable. A fascinating case that is difficult to form a firm opinion on, but whatever the verdict the controversy is bound to continue.

The jury in the David Camm trial has returned a verdict of not guilty of the murders of his wife and two children – this after he has spent 13 years in prison after two previous juries had found him guilty as charged. This was a courageous decision from what was an obviously intelligent and committed jury who asked many probing questions of all witnesses throughout the trial. It is doubtful if this is the last we hear of this extraordinary and controversial case though, as civil suits seem certain to follow.

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